By late last month, the Atlanta Falcons appeared to be picking up momentum as the favorites to land free-agent running back Steven Jackson after he voided the final year of his contract with the St. Louis Rams.
Now that they have cut ties with Michael Turner, the Falcons still are viewed as the front-runners for Jackson's services, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The Rams reportedly were offering Jackson only half of the $7 million salary that he already had voided. More problematic, though, was the prospect of a reduced role with Isaiah Pead and Daryl Richardson ready to eat into his playing time. Jackson certainly sounds like his days in a Rams uniform are gone.
"I understand the business side of it," Jackson recently told Sirius XM NFL Radio. "I still have a great relationship with the (Rams') organization, and one day I'll be going back there."
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Although sources close to Jackson tell the Post-Dispatch that his agent's phone was relatively quiet Saturday, the Falcons aren't the only playoff team interested in signing him.
Jackson acknowledged to SI.com's Peter King last week that the Green Bay Packers "make a lot of sense." Don't be surprised if the bruising tailback is on the Denver Broncos' radar as well.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.